(~es, ~ing, ~ed)
Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English.
1.
If you ~ for something or someone, you look carefully for them.
The Turkish security forces have started ~ing for the missing men...
Nonetheless there are signs that both sides may be ~ing for a compromise.
VERB: V for n, V for n
2.
If you ~ a place, you look carefully for something or someone there.
Armed troops ~ed the hospital yesterday...
She ~ed her desk for the necessary information...
Relief workers are still ~ing through collapsed buildings looking for victims.
VERB: V n, V n for n, V prep
3.
A ~ is an attempt to find something or someone by looking for them carefully.
There was no chance of him being found alive and the ~ was abandoned...
Egypt has said there is no time to lose in the ~ for a Middle East settlement.
N-COUNT: oft N for n
4.
If a police officer or someone else in authority ~es you, they look carefully to see whether you have something hidden on you.
The man took her suitcase from her and then ~ed her...
His first task was to ~ them for weapons.
VERB: V n, V n for n
5.
If you ~ for information on a computer, you give the computer an instruction to find that information. (COMPUTING)
You can use a directory service to ~ for people on the Internet.
VERB: V for n
•
Search is also a noun.
He was doing a computer ~ of local news articles.
N-COUNT
6.
see also ~ing , strip-~
7.
If you go in ~ of something or someone, you try to find them.
Miserable, and unexpectedly lonely, she went in ~ of Jean-Paul...
The law already denies entry to people in ~ of better economic opportunities.
PHRASE: PHR after v, PHR n
8.
You say ‘~ me’ when someone asks you a question and you want to emphasize that you do not know the answer. (INFORMAL)
CONVENTION emphasis